Grating



Jan. 2.1l 1930. w, A BATES 1,744,153

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@www W JW @5- W. A. BATES GRATING Filed Deo. 2. 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 Paiements. 2i', 1930i Um'any STATES PATENT v fori-'lea- WALTER, A EATEs', ,or GABY, INDIANA, AssIGNoETo WALTER EATEs sTEEL ooEronA- TIoN, or GARY, INDIANA, A coEronATroN or DELAWARE GRATING Application led December 2, 1828. Serial No. 152,018.

The present invention relates to improvements in gratings. v

More particu arly the present invention relates to metal gratings and will be described 5 in connection with gratings of the type which are used for 'floors or floor coverings. Gratings for this purpose have been commonly provided b securing parallel fiat bars of steel or the like 1n right angular relationship with other parallel bars of steel or the like, the bars of one or both sets 'being notched, whereby said bars of the two sets may have a substan-V tially level surface. Gratings' as heretofore rovided, inso far as applicant has observed, have been open to a. number of objections, among which mayl be mentioned relatively high cost, relatively great weight compared to the strength thereof, and a tendency of the bars to Work loose from one another under the loads to which they are subjected.

An object of the present invention is to provide a grating which is relatively simple and cheap to manufacture and in which the bars of steel or the like areso connected together that the effect of wear in loosening the connections between said bars is a minimum.

A further object is to provide a grating involving cross bars in which the weight per unit of strength is a minimum.

A' further object is to provided-a grating in which the strength per unit of Weight is a maximum.

A further object is to provide a method 'of making gratings from flat strips of steel or the like, which rocess may be carried out expeditiously an at a. minimum of expense.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

, Referring to the di'awingsf- Figures 1 and 2 are side and end elevational views, respectively, of a main bar, as it apars in an intermediate stage in the manuacture of a support bar of a' grating, which support bar, for convenience of description, will be termed an A-bar in this s ecication;

Figures 3 and 4 are side and en elevational views, res ctively, of a cross bar used in the ractice o the present invention, which cross Ear for convenience of description will be 59 termed a B- bar in this specication;

Figures 5, 6and 7 are views in top plan, side elevation and end elevation, respectively, of an A-bar in process of manufacture, said-A- bar having tongues swedged therefrom;-

l Figure 8 is a View showing a plurality of A-bars arranged in parallel relationship with one another and having a B-bar insertedv therethrough; Y

Figure 9 is a view in sideelevation of the structure-shown in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a view in end elevation of the structure shown in Figure 8; Figures 11, 12 and 13 illustrate the'plurality of A-bars and one B-bar at the next stage in the manufacture of the gratin said B-bar havin been turned about its llongitudinal axis t irough an angle of 90 from the position of said B-bar in Figures 8, 9 and 10;

Figures 14, 15 vand 16 are views in top plan, side elevation and end elevation, respectively, of the structure illustrated in Figures 8 to V13, Figures 14, 15 and 16 illustrating a iinal step in the manufacture of the grating;

Figure 17 isa perspective view showing the joint between the A-bars and the B-hars; and

Figure 18 is a perspective view illustrating a completed grating.

In proceeding with the manufactuile of the grating forming the subject matter "vof the present invention, thel A-bars are provided with spaced rectan lar apertures 20, which apertures 20 have ttliir longer axes disposed transversely of the A-bar. Saidy apertures 20 are disposed at approximately the neutral axis of the A-bar and have a width substantially equal to the thickness of the cooperating B-bars.

The B-bars,one of vwhich is shown in Figures 3and 4, are' rovided with the spaced notches 21--21, tie spacing between the notches 21e-21 being the same as the spacing between the.4 parallel A-bars. The B-bars may be of considerably less width and thickness than the'r A-bars. The width of each of the B-bars will be substantially equal to the spacing from the lowermost ed e of the aperturesV 20 to the upper edge of t e corre-1 sponding A-bar. The notches 214-21 will be of a depth substantially equal to the thickness of metal between lthe upper edge of each of the apertures and the upper edge of the Referrin to Figures 5, 6 and 7, it will be.

noted that t e A-bars in an intermediate step in manufacture have tongues 22 swedged therefrom providing slots 23, the extremities of said tongues 22-22 being side edges of the notches 20-20, said tongues 22-22 are of sucient length to provide apertures long enough to receive the B-bars flatwise therein. Figures 8, 9 and 10 show the plurality of A- bars in parallel spaced relationship with one another, one B-bar being inserted flatwise in the apertures 23 of a plurality of A-bars. It will be understood, of course, that a number of B-bars may be inserted into the A-bars simultanenously.

Figures 11, 12 and 13 show one of the B- bars turned about its axis at an angle of 90 degrees and disposed at the left-hand extremities of the apertures 23.

Figures 14, 15 and 16 show a com leted grating with the tongues 22 turned bac into the planes of the A-bars, thereby locking the B-bars securely in place.

Fi ures 17 and 18 clearly indicate the manner in which the A-bars and B-bars are locked together to provide a grating.

The A-bars, which are of heavier gauge material than the B-bars, provide the supports for the grating. It will be noted that the construction illustrated has the advantage that the A-bars provide a plurality of channels, the fact that the B-bars are raised above the lower level of the bottoms of the A-bars having the advantage that said channels may be flushed out with a stream of water, whereby cleaning is facilitated.

Many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended to cover all such modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is- 1. A grating comprising a plurality o bars arranged in parallel relationship with one another and a plurality of cross bars arsaid first mentioned bars having rectangular apertures therein, said cross -ba'rs'having their upper edges notched and their lower edges unnotched, said first mentioned bars and said cross bars being fitted together with the top portions of said'frst mentioned bars above said apertures disposed within the notches of said c'ross bars, said first mentioned bars having'tongues cut therein and disposed longitudinally thereof terminating at said rectangular apertures and abutting against the sides of said cross bars, the bottomedges of said cross bars being disposed at the level of the lower extremities of said apertures.

2. A ting comprising, in combination, a plura ity of bars arranged in parallel relationship1 with one another and a plurality of cross ars arranged in arallel relationship with one another, sai first mentioned bars having rectangular apertures therein arranged along the neutral axes thereof, said cross bars having their upper ed es notched and their lower edves unnotche said first mentioned bars and said cross bars being fitted together, said first mentioned bars having tongues arranged longitudinally thereof which tongues abut the side walls of said cross bars to hold said first mentioned bars and said cross bars in rigid relationshi with one another, the bottom edges of sai cross bars being disposed at the level of the lower extremities of said apertures.

3. A grating comprising, in combination, a plurality of bars arranged in parallel relationship with one another and a plurality of cross bars arranged in arallel relationship with one another, said Erst mentioned bars having rectangular apertures, said cross bars having their upper edges notched and their lower edges unnotched, said first mentioned bars and said cross bars being fitted' together with portions of said first mentioned bars adjacent to said apertures disposed in said notches, said first mentioned bars having tongues therein, saidtongues extending longitudinally of said first mentioned bars and abutting against the side walls of said cross bars, said cross bars resting u on said first mentioned bars upon `surfaces efined by the lowermost lines of the adjoining tongues. Si ed at Chicago, Illinois, this 26th day of ovember, 1926.

WALTER A. BATES. 

